Emotional and Practical Survival
How do I handle being the person everyone leans on when I'm also grieving?
Short answer
You cannot pour from an empty cup. Assign specific tasks to specific people so you are not making every decision. Designate one person as the point of contact for incoming calls and questions. Protect one hour per day that is yours. Grief…
What this usually means
You cannot pour from an empty cup. Assign specific tasks to specific people so you are not making every decision. Designate one person as the point of contact for incoming calls and questions. Protect one hour per day that is yours. Grief is not linear — some days you will function, some days you will not. Both are normal.
What to do next
- Start the PathAfter checklist for situation-aware first steps.
- Find California county phone numbers for coroner, vital records, and local offices.
- Open the First 72 Hours Call Log before making calls.
- Open the Documents to Find Checklist when you are ready for paperwork.